Whether for entertainment, renewal, mindfulness, or physical rehabilitation, the reasons for the human proclivity towards immersive activities are endless. A variety of mediums are known to support such activities. Naturally, a variety of containers configured to hold these diverse immersive mediums exist. One common example is a pool configured to hold water. A pool configured to hold fresh water treated with chemicals may provide a cool clean feeling, whereas a saltwater pool may provide more buoyancy. Other containers may be configured to contain other substances intended to offer alternative immersive experiences, such as for example mud for mud baths, gels for resistance training, or even edible gelatin deserts for novelty. However, few if any containers are configured to contain a plurality of fanciful elements. Such a container containing such a medium would offer not only the tactile benefits of partial or total immersion, its fanciful nature could potentially also evoke a transformative emotional, psychological, even spiritual experience of which an aqueous medium may not be capable.
Although various containers configured to encompass various mediums are known in the art, none are sufficiently configured to contain a plurality of fanciful elements. One commonly known container, the pool configured for use with aqueous substances, is unfortunately designed only to contain water. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,592,702, incorporated by reference in its entirety herein, discloses a modular above-ground pool system. Its free-standing and adjustable elements may presumably be adjusted and connected to form a circular above ground pool of variable diameter and height. Or, the disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 3,409,916, incorporated by reference in its entirety herein, provides for a more permanent oval-shaped pool. Further, the disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 3,256,532, incorporated by reference in its entirety herein, discloses a portable square-shaped pool that may presumably be easily assembled and disassembled. While containers having a pool-like shape are convenient and familiar to users, none of these are configured for use with non-aqueous immersion mediums.
Alternative containers exist as well. For example, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0211168, incorporated by reference in its entirety herein, discloses a children's play apparatus that could be filled, for example, with the impact-absorbing foam blocks of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0163873, which is also incorporated by reference in its entirety herein. Such a combination would provide a user with a type of immersive experience in the foam blocks. Or, as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. D382,618, incorporated by reference in its entirety herein, other containers can be configured to contain balls, and provide another type of “ball pit” immersive experience. Some containers may even contain impact-absorbing substances into which a person may sink, such as the disclosures of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,245,838 and 4,168,061, both of which disclose impact-absorbing crash pads for use with track and field events, both of which are incorporated by reference in their entireties herein. However therapeutic the feeling of sinking into such pads may be, these disclosures do not enable an immersive experience.
What is needed therefore is a system that provides a container configured for use with non-aqueous fanciful elements that enables partial or total immersion, and a method of using the same.